Repair device



June 6, 1961 w. H. DANIEL REPAIR DEVICE Filed Oct. 21, 1959 a 0 5 mm 1 31 m l m IN V EN TOR.

United States The present invention relates to repair devices, and moreparticularly to devices for patching holes in fluidimpervious flexiblesheet material such as the side walls of above-ground swimming pools.

In the past, when it has been desired to repair a hole in a largeflexible container such as a plastic swimming pool, it has beennecessary to drain the water from the pool at least below the level ofthe hole, dry the material of the pool and then patch it. Naturally,this has been an annoying and time-consuming procedure; and with therecent popularization of backyard swimming pools, the need for a devicethat can quickly and easily repair holes in the pool without thenecessity of draining the pool has become increasingly great.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present-invention to provide adevice for repairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material, in whichat least one side of the sheet material can be immersed in water duringrepair.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device forrepairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material, which is fullysupported by the sheet material itself during the repair operation.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of adevice for repairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material, in whichno element need be extended through the hole in the material, and inwhich nothing need be permanently secured to the material itself otherthan the patch which closes the hole.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a devicefor repairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material, which will beeasy and inexpensive to manufacture, quick and foolproof to operate, andrugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention about to besecured to flexible sheet material for the repair of a hole therein;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the next step in securingthe device to the sheet material;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the device fully attachedand showing the patch being applied; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded assembly perspective view of the device of thepresent invention and an associated patch.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, the principal elementsof the repair device according to the present invention are a vacuummember 1 and a stiif back-up plate 3, adapted to be placed on andsecured to opposite sides of a portion of fluid-impervious flexiblesheet material 5, which may for example be a flexible plastic sheet suchas heavy polyethylene filrn. The device of the present invention isneeded when a rip, tear or hole 7 develops in the sheet material.

Vacuum member 1 comprises a flat, rigid circular plastic disc 9 havingan integral handle 11 centrally thereof. Disc 9 provides a support andfirm backing for an attachment 13 of rubber or other elastic deformablematerial, which fits over and is retained on the edges of disc 9 bymeans of a flange 15. On the other side of disc 9, attachment 13 isprovided entirely about its periphery with an annular vacuum cup 17 ofwhich the portions farthest from disc 9 are two concentric circularedges 19 disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of disc 9.

Also provided on the underside of attachment 13 is an integral circularcentral boss or projection 21 which is circular and of a height lessthan the distance between disc 9 and the plane of edges 19 and adiameter less than the diameter of the inner edge 19 and whichterminates on its underside in a flat surface 23. In the unstressedposition of vacuum member 1, as shown in FIG- URE l, the plane of flatsurface 23 is parallel to and spaced from the plane of edges 19.

Backup plate 3, the other component of the invention, is rigid and mayfor example be of metal and is provided with a circular central opening25 of an area less than the area of the central opening of the vacuumcup, that is, within the smaller circle defined by the inner edge 19 inthe position of the device shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Back-up plate 3 isalso provided with a small annular convexity as at 27, which conformsthe plate to a limited extent to the curvature of annular vacuum cup 17and thereby makes it easier to cause the vacuum cup to assume theposition of FIGURES 2 and 3. It is to be expressly understood, however,that plate 3 may be flat and uniplanar.

In use, for example in connection with a leaking swimming pool having ahole 7 therein, backup plate 3 is placed on the outside of the plasticsheet material of the pool with hole 7 exposed through opening 25 andbackup plate 3 enclosing hole 7. Back-up plate 3 is held in thisposition with the fingers of one hand while vacuum member 1 is placed inthe position shown in FIGURE 1, that is, with annular vacuum cup 17directly opposed to back-up plate 3 on the other side of sheet material5.

The two members are then forced together until they assume the positionshown in FIGURE 2. With vacuum cup 17 thus fully engaged on sheetmaterial 5, flat surface 23 now lies in the plane of edges 19, so thatsheet material 5 is fairly flat against flat surface 23, as shown inFIGURE 3.

When the hands are removed from vacuum member 1 and back-up plate 3, amost remarkable phenomenon is noted: members 1 and 3 remain firmly inplace on sheet material 5 with no other support. This is because vacuumcup 17 draws a vacuum on fluid-impervious flexible sheet material 5,which in turns draws a vacuum on back-up plate 3. Naturally, if sheetmaterial 5 were not fluid impervious or were inflexible, this phenomenonwould not be observed. Thus, a vacuum cup and a relatively rigid memberare held together by the vacuum cup, on opposite sides of the sheetmaterial, even though the rigid backup member touches nothing but thesheet material.

In this assembled position, projection 21 provides a firm backing forthe sheet material adjacent hole 7; and it is now possible to apply apatch 29 in the usual way in the free space afforded by central opening25 in backup plate 3, the patch being applied as shown in FIGURE 3 andcemented or otherwise fixed in place in a known manner.

After the cement has dried or the patch has otherwise become permanentlyemplaced, the vacuum of vacuum cup 17 may be broken by lifting an edgethereof in the usual manner and member 1 and plate 3 may then beremoved. Of course, the gripping effect of vacuum cup 17 is unimpairedby water, so that vacuum member 1 may be applied under water with noneed to drain the pool. In assembled position, member 1 and plate 3provide a rigid frame entirely about the hole in the sheet material, aswell as a backing member in the form of projection 21.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that althoughvacuum cup 17 is referred to for convenience as annular, its shape candepart from circular without departing from the invention. Similarly,the shape of projection 21 is immaterial so long as its flat surface 23is of an area less than the opening of memher 1 within the smallercircle of the inner edge 19 in the position of FIGURES 2 and 3, so thatthe projection does not interfere with vacuum cup 17. Also, centralopening 25 need not be circular, but need only provide access to hate 7.Also, although back-up plate 3 is shown as annular in FIGURE 4, it is soshown only for convenience, the shape of its outer edge being completelyimmaterial so long as plate 3 remains of sufiicient area to providebacking for cup 17 in the fully assembled position. Thus, it may incertain circumstances be desirable to make plate 3 and cup 17 andprojection 21 and opening 25 rather greater in length than in width, toaccommodate holes 7 in the form of elongated rips; but all theseimmaterial variations are within the scope of the present invention asdefined by the appended claims.

It is obvious, therefore, that all of the initially recited objects ofthe present invention have been achieved; and hence, it is to beunderstood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range ofequivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the priorart.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for repairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material,comprising, the combination of an annular vacuum cup of elasticdeformable material enclosing a central opening, and a stiff platehaving an opening therethrough no larger than the central opening of thevacuum cup, so that when the vacuum cup and stifl? plate are .pressedtogether with flexible sheet material therebetween, the vacuum cup willsecure the plate firmly against the sheet material and with the platewill provide a rigid frame for a region of sheet material exposed on theplate side of the assembly.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, and a central projection on theunderside of the vacuum cup extending toward but terminating short ofthe plane of the edges of the vacuum cup when the vacuum cup is inunstressed condition, the projection terminating in a flat surfaceparallel to said plane.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, said flat surface lying in said planewhen the vacuum cup is fully engaged.

4. A device for repairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material,comprising a rigid back-up member, and an annular vacuum cup of elasticdeformable material secured to the back-up member, so that when pressureis applied to the back-up member in the direction of a fluid-impervioussurface, the cup will be forced into clinging relationship with saidsurface entirely about a central region of sheet material which is freefrom clinging engagement with the vacuum cup, and a central projectionon the underside of the vacuum cup extending toward but terminatingshort of the plane of the edges of the vacuum cup when the vacuum cup isin unstressed condition, the projection terminating in a flat surfaceparallel to said plane.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, said flat surface lying in said planewhen the vacuum cup is'fully engaged.

6. A device for repairing fluid-impervious flexible sheet material,comprising the combination of an annular vacuum cup of elasticdeformable material enclosing a central opening, a stiff plate having anopening therethrough no larger than the central opening of the vacuumcup, and fluid-impervious flexible sheet material between the vacuum cupand the stiff plate with the vacuum cup and the still plate pressedtogether and the vacuum cup holding the stiff plate to the side of thesheet material opposite the vacuum cup.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, and a central projection on theunderside of the vacuum cup terminating in a flat surface lyingsubstantially in the plane of the edges of the vacuum cup.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

